MFA Class of 2020 (Here I Come!)

Well, this year has been the mother of all reinvention. A move to Ottawa. And starting grad school.

I almost missed the application deadline. I was having lunch with a friend back in February. As we were heading out the door, she asked: “Isn’t your deadline coming up for applying to grad school?”

What do I know about grad school deadlines? The last time I submitted an application for grad school was in 1984. This was for my first Master’s. Given my general lack of enthusiasm for higher education, I figured it was my last.

After my lunch, I thought I should check, just to err on the side of caution. I was 99% certain the deadline was sometime in June. Turns out I was 98% right. There is a June deadline, but for something completely different. My application had to be received by the university in less than a week’s time.

I had four days to: get two references, compile a 25-page portfolio, draft a book proposal, write a personal statement, request previous academic records. On the last requirement, I had visions of the admissions committee laughing hysterically when they reviewed my marks from my earlier degrees. I was hoping that my portfolio might make up for these academic shortfalls.

It must have. I’m starting the MFA in Creative Nonfiction at the University of King’s College in a few weeks. Class of 2020. That has a nice ring, doesn’t it?

I’ll be in Halifax next month (think lobster rolls) and New York City this winter (don’t think Trump Tower). Apart from a few other residency requirements, I will be working with my mentor, author Jane Silcott (Love me True, Everything Rustles) via distance.

There is a bunch of pre-work and I’ve been diving into the assigned books, readings and assignments. I cried when I read the bios and book proposals of my classmates. Holy moly, this is one fascinating and accomplished group. I thought, “How lucky am I?” (Second thought: “Is it possible the admissions committee is confusing my application with someone else’s?”)

I’m excited. And nervous. But mostly psyched. Wish me luck!

 

Photo: MFA Summer Reading

Previous: The Untold Story of Young Caregivers
Next: Ottawa: Better the Second Time Around